


Together Closely Lie

by Mara



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst, F/M, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-22
Updated: 2009-12-22
Packaged: 2017-10-05 00:46:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mara/pseuds/Mara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Tok'ra ask a favor of Sam and Daniel but it's not going to be easy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Together Closely Lie

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kellifer](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Kellifer).



> This is for kellifer_fic, in the Sam/Daniel ficathon. Thanks to Kylie Lee for a fact assist.

Daniel looked at Sam. "Ah," he said to the Tok'ra High Council (or what remained of it), "I think we're going to need some time to talk this over."

"Certainly." Heads bowed and Daniel and Sam were led away to the secluded room in which they'd been working.

They smiled politely at the Tok'ra who'd escorted them, waiting in silence until footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

When Daniel looked at Sam, she'd turned away and was leaning both hands on the table, head bowed. "Sam?" he said, hurrying over to put a hand on her back.

"I don't know if I can do this, Daniel."

Rubbing slow circles on her back, he considered his words carefully. "I understand."

For a long moment, the only sound in the room was her breathing, slightly too fast and too loud. Then she took two slow deep breaths and lifted her head. "Okay, let's talk about this."

Daniel saw the look in her eyes, which said that more sympathy would not be welcomed, and he stepped back, switching to impersonal mode. "The Tok'ra have asked our assistance with a matter unrelated to our original mission."

"To carry two Tok'ra whose hosts are dying until we can reach another Tok'ra colony that has hosts available." Sam's face was impassive, but Daniel saw one hand clench.

"Indeed." He raised one eyebrow and inclined his head.

The Teal'c impression surprised a smile out of her. "I know I'm being obvious. I just had to say it aloud. I never expected...although I guess I should have figured it would happen eventually. Since I...since Jolinar."

"Can you do it again?" Daniel frowned.

"Yes. I could be a host again." She stared down at her feet. "It's weird. I'm simultaneously frightened and guilty."

"Guilty?"

One corner of her mouth tilted up. "I feel like it would be cheating on Jolinar."

"I think she would forgive you."

"I know she would." Sam looked up. "I know I haven't talked much about what it was like, but you need to know before you make the decision."

Daniel thought he'd already made his decision, but Sam obviously needed to talk. "Go ahead."

"In many ways, it was wonderful." Her face lit up in a way he rarely saw, with joy and an internal light that was truly beautiful. Daniel caught his breath as she smiled at him. "Jolinar's death was one of the worst experiences of my life, but there were some moments of the joining that were incredible."

Daniel nodded slowly. "The knowledge."

"The experiences accumulated through years we'll never achieve."

"I sense a 'but' coming." Daniel wanted to put his arm around Sam, but knew she'd never allow it right now.

"But...there's no guarantee that the Tok'ra we carry would be as wonderful as Selmak or Jolinar. And having that symbiote is incredibly personal, even more than you can imagine."

"I've got a pretty good imagination." Daniel ran a hand through his hair. "Look, the Tok'ra have been at this a pretty long time, and they swear that these two symbiotes would be compatible with us. And they do know a lot about us, so it seems like they would know."

"I know." Sam shivered. "But I'm not sure I can go through it again."

"The joining or the losing?" Daniel didn't take his eyes off her.

"Both."

Silence reigned as they were both lost in thought. Daniel broke it when he couldn't wait any longer. "I'm going to say yes," he said.

"Are you sure?" She stepped forward and gripped his shoulders. "This isn't something to do lightly."

"I know that, Sam," he said, slightly offended.

"Sorry." She turned away, fiddling with some of her tools lying on a table. "Okay, I'll do it."

"Just bec--"

"It's not because of you." She didn't turn back. "I want to make up for not saving Jolinar."

"That's a lousy reason."

"I know." She shrugged. "But it's the only one I've got."

"Should we contact the SGC? I don't think they're going to be very happy about this. Jack--"

"We were ordered to assist our allies. We need the Tok'ra."

It was absolutely the worst justification Daniel had ever heard, but obviously Sam was looking for reasons to go through with this.

A few minutes later, they were being led to another chamber, containing the two dying hosts. Daniel swallowed in a suddenly dry throat as the procedure was explained to them in clinical terms. In his worries about Sam, he'd rather forgotten about the whole 'snake living in your head' part of the deal.

Exchanging nervous glances, Daniel and Sam bent over the dying hosts.

* * *

When Daniel opened his eyes, after sleeping better than he'd thought he would, he expected something weird like double vision.

_But you still have just the one set of eyes,_ Marek said.

"I didn't say it made sense." He rubbed the eyes in question and wished for a real shower, but this particular Tok'ra facility was fairly primitive.

_You don't have to speak aloud._

"I know. But it will take me some time to get used to this."

There was a strange sensation that Daniel realized was the symbiote equivalent of laughter or amusement and he found himself smiling as well.

_You're taking this rather well for someone who wasn't brought up to be a Tok'ra._ There was a tinge of curiosity.

Daniel pulled on his BDUs. "You could, I don't know, rummage through my memories and see why, couldn't you?"

_Not exactly,_ Marek said. _Certainly I could see all of your memories, but there is no way for me to know which is relevant. Emotions can't be searched in the same way as memories._

"I hadn't thought about that. How fascinating." Daniel's mind ran off on a few tangents.

_I can see we're going to need to work on your focus,_ the rather dry voice in his mind said.

Daniel laughed. "Maybe I was wrong. It's possible Jack might actually like you very much."

_For instance, right now I'd like to focus on going to see if Treena's joining with your Sam Carter went as well._

"Oh, of course." Daniel berated himself for not thinking about Sam, probably because she'd done this once before.

As he finished dressing and washed his face, Daniel mentally poked at the strange feeling of having another mind in his own.

_I can feel that, you know._

"Oh. Sorry. Well, then can we talk about some of the planets you've been to?"

Mental sighs, Daniel discovered, tickled.

* * *

Sam's room was right around the corner, and the shimmery curtain these Tok'ra used as a door was pulled open, a sign that visitors were welcome.

"Knock knock," Daniel said, stepping in.

"Marek?" the deep voice coming from Sam's mouth said, sounding hopeful.

"Oh." Daniel blinked. "That's going to take some getting used to. Ah, yes. I'm currently Marek's host and he's fine. Would you like to speak to him?"

"Please."

Taking a deep breath, Daniel bowed his head and hoped Marek knew how to do this. There was an instant of vertigo (_that will pass_) and then it was as if he sat in the backseat of his own head. "Treena. My love," he heard his voice say.

Love? Daniel had an uneasy feeling in his stomach, one that he seemed to get regularly when Tok'ra were involved, the sinking feeling that somebody had forgotten to mention something important.

Before Daniel knew it, he--his body, at least--was embracing Sam and they were holding each other *very* tightly. It was disconcerting to not be able to step backward and he started to get a claustrophobic feeling.

Marek let go of Treena, who looked confused. "My host," he said.

She nodded. "Mine as well. We should apologize."

_I'm sorry,_ Marek said, ducking their head and handing control back to Daniel. _I was so worried about her that I was rude. My apologies._

"That's...okay," Daniel said, taking a deep breath. "I was just surprised."

"What?" Sam asked, blinking as she regained control of her body.

"I was talking to Marek."

Her brow furrowed. "You don't have to talk aloud, you know."

Running a hand through his hair, Daniel said, "I know, that just seems strange."

"Stranger than anything else we've been through in the past few years?" she asked with a hint of a grin.

Daniel just shook his head, grumbling to himself about everyone being against him.

Sam smiled gently. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Marek says I'm taking it well for someone who wasn't brought up with the Tok'ra." Daniel shrugged. "As you say, it's really not that much stranger than anything else we've experienced." Pausing, he took a good look at her, deciding she looked a bit strained around the edges. "How about you? Is it...bringing back bad memories?"

"No." She shook her head. "Treena's being very careful to work around Jolinar's remaining memories, which helps a lot. And she reminds me a lot of Janet."

"Glad to hear it." Daniel decided he'd keep an eye on her just in case.

_I can assure you that Treena will do her best to help rather than hurt your friend,_ Marek said. _We are most appreciative of your assistance._

_I know,_ Daniel said, trying out the 'not talking aloud' thing. _I can't help but worry, though._

_Of course._ Marek's tone was rather...smug.

_What?_

_Nothing._

Daniel decided that whatever it was, he didn't have the energy to deal with it now.

"Now that we've got that settled, there's one more little thing we have to do." Sam's grin was a bit manic and Daniel started to worry.

"What?"

"Go back to the SGC and tell General O'Neill what we've done."

Daniel's cursing started in Egyptian and moved on from there. And he knew a *lot* of languages to curse in.

* * *

The conversation with Jack went just as well as Daniel expected. Possibly even better.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Jack paced back and forth along one edge of the conference room table. "Did they suck out your brains after you came through the wormhole? Maybe replaced you with clones? Stupid clones?"

"Jack, I think you're overreacting--"

"Overreacting? No." He stopped, pivoting to glare at both of them. "Overreacting would be throwing you in a cell and court martials."

"Sir, you can't court martial Daniel. He's--"

"I'd find a way." Jack went back to pacing. "I can't believe you two. Who thought it was a good idea to let you out without Teal'c to *beat some sense into your heads*?"

"You, Jack. You're the one who sent Teal'c off to meet with Master Bra'tac."

"Well, that'll never happen again. That's assuming you two ever get to go on a mission ever again. 'Cause I sure as hell can't let you go off-world with snakes in your head." Jack took a deep breath. "I can't even let you go off-base."

Daniel started to argue, but decided against it. In this mood, Jack wasn't going to be reasonable. And he did have a good point.

_You don't trust us?_ Marek asked, feeling honestly curious. He'd sensibly been keeping a low profile so far in the meeting.

_It's not that, exactly._ Daniel looked for the words. _I mean, I know a lot about you now, but Jack doesn't. And he hasn't exactly had the best experiences with the Tok'ra._ He prodded Marek in the right direction and felt the tickle of the symbiote accessing the memories of Jack telling Daniel about his blending with Kanan.

_Ah,_ Marek said. _That was unfortunate._

_That's one way to put it._

_But understandable._

_You know, saying that doesn't exactly comfort me._

_And to what lengths would you go to save Samantha Carter?_

_That's not the same! I mean, she's...we're not..._

"Daniel," Jack said, leaning over the table, "the least you can do is pay attention while I'm yelling at you."

"Sorry." Daniel felt himself flush as Marek laughed at him.

Jack threw his hands in the air. "Why do I even bother? Fine, you're both confined to base, yadda yadda, and find us some damn Tok'ra so you can get rid of the snakes and go back to giving me more gray hairs. Now I know how General Hammond felt." With one last glare, he stomped out of the room.

Sam put a hand over her mouth, but Daniel could still hear her laughing. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"Treena pointed out that he thinks of confinement to base as a punishment."

Daniel laughed too. "So, you'll be in the lab, then?"

"Oh yeah, you wouldn't *believe* how much data I've got piled up waiting for analysis. You?"

"Two different translations to work on." Daniel grinned at her. "And a pile of artifacts from that excavation on P4X 985."

"I'll put out the word to our Tok'ra contacts, then."

"Shall I bring dinner to your lab?" Daniel picked up his pad of paper.

"Treena says, 'It's a date.'" Sam grinned and left.

_Date?_

Marek laughed.

* * *

Having Marek in his head was incredibly useful for work, Daniel found, as they compared notes. The translations were going twice as fast as usual when Marek prodded him. _Dinner,_ he said. _With Treena and Sam._

"Oh. Right." Daniel blinked bleary eyes at the page he'd been studying and decided food was definitely a good idea. Pushing everything aside, he stood and went up to the mess to load up a tray for them.

_Daniel?_

_Hmm?_ Daniel was pleased he remembered to not speak aloud, since his reputation for eccentricity was bad enough as it was.

_I'd like to ask a favor._

_That tone makes me nervous again._

_Could Treena and I speak to each other? We've..._ Marek hesitated. _While our hosts were ill, we had very little time together, and I miss her._

_Oh, I guess so._

_And once we find new hosts, well, we might be separated._

Daniel almost stopped in his tracks. _I hadn't thought about that._

_I know. And that's not your fault._

_Well, as long as Sam agrees, it's okay with me._

_Thank you._

* * *

Dinner was an odd experience, as Daniel found himself eating without having to actually...eat. And he listened to Marek and Treena reminisce about various points in their lives, Tok'ra they'd known, planets they'd been to...

Daniel's mental fingers itched to take notes and he could hear Marek laugh at him.

_Sorry,_ Daniel said unrepentantly, _I can't help being who I am._

As dinner went on, Daniel found his mind drifting to watching Sam as Treena used her body in ways that almost looked like Sam, except not quite. But it gave a chance for Daniel to really study her in a way he never could under normal circumstances without looking strange.

She was really very pretty, Daniel thought, although she'd roll her eyes if he pointed it out. And when she started to talk about something technical, her eyes lit up and she was downright gorgeous.

And saying that she was smart was really an understatement. She'd invented more brilliant solutions on the fly than any ten Nobel Prize winners could have managed, and that wasn't even counting the alien technology she'd figured out.

_Just noticing all that?_ Marek asked.

_What?_ Daniel came out of his reverie.

_I asked if you were just noticing these things about Sam._

_Well no, I mean..._ Flustered, Daniel tried to take off his glasses and polish them, forgetting he wasn't currently in control of his body. _I'm just not used to having so much time to think, that's all._

_Mm-hmm._

Daniel was relieved when Treena asked Marek a question, distracting him.

* * *

Over the course of the next few days, Marek, Treena, Daniel, and Sam worked out a kind of timeshare system, although Daniel was strictly forbidden to call it that after he referred to Sam as a yacht.

It seemed strange to cede his body so regularly to another person, but neither Daniel nor Sam had the heart to refuse. Besides the excellent argument that Marek and Treena might not get more time together, Daniel and Sam could *feel* their symbiote's emotions, and it hurt them nearly as much to be separated.

Daniel found the free mental time rather relaxing, once he got used to it, and Sam said that she agreed. "It means I can't be distracted from thinking by e-mail or General O'Neill bugging me."

"Speaking of e-mail and Jack bugging you..." Daniel said.

"No, I haven't heard from any of the other Tok'ra." Sam shrugged. "You know how it is."

With a mental apology to Marek, Daniel said. "If they wanted us to test some dangerous device, they'd be on the phone immediately."

Marek sighed. _I wish I could argue with your assessment, but I can see you have ample evidence to back it up._

_Of course, that's mainly Anise and Freya,_ Daniel said.

"Treena wants to point out that we shouldn't judge all the Tok'ra by Anise and Freya," Sam said.

Daniel chuckled. "That's what I just said to Marek."

"Well, I'm sure we'll find new hosts soon."

"Before or after Jack has an aneurysm?"

_Preferably before,_ Marek said as Sam said the exact same thing.

* * *

"Dr. Jackson?" Sgt. Harriman said on the phone.

"Uh-huh," Daniel said, tucking the phone between his shoulder and his ear and continuing his search through the database for something that resembled the symbol on the funerary jar in his hand.

"We've received a message from the Tok'ra."

"Uh-huh." Damn it, he'd definitely seen this before, but he couldn't remember where. Marek was searching his memory, but having no more luck than the database.

"Dr. Jackson, are you listening to me?"

"Tok'ra, right." Wait, it wasn't quite this form, but a more stylized arch with a--

"Dr. Jackson!"

Daniel dropped the phone and nearly smashed the jar. Carefully he put the jar down and scrabbled for the phone on the floor. "I'm sorry, Walter," he said, "I wasn't paying attention."

"As I was saying," the weary-sounding sergeant said, "we've received a message from the Tok'ra. There's a colony on P2A 142 that may be able to help you. I've already contacted Colonel Carter."

"On my--our way," Daniel said.

* * *

Coming around the corner out of the elevator, Daniel nearly ran down Sam, or rather Treena, who said, "What do we know of this colony?"

"I don't think we've been in touch with them," Daniel said. "At least that doesn't sound familiar. I'd have to see a gate address to be sure."

_I see no mention of P2A 142 in your memories,_ Marek said.

As they continued down the hallway, Daniel added, "And Marek says I've never heard of them."

"Ah."

"Um, could I talk to Sam for a minute?" Daniel was getting better at the etiquette of being Tok'ra, but still found it rather awkward.

Treena smiled slightly. "She knows what you're going to ask and she says, 'I'm fine. I've had time to prepare.' And I can assure you that a voluntary separation is not as traumatic as the death of a symbiote such as Sam experienced."

_She will need your support, however,_ Marek added.

_She knows she always has it._ Daniel didn't mean to sound quite as snippy as he did, and he decided that the nice thing about your conversational partner being inside your head was that you didn't have to explain and apologize, because they already knew.

They entered the control room as Walter was already dialing the Tok'ra colony. Daniel grinned at Walter's usual telepathy, vowing again to get the man in for testing someday. Nobody could be *that* lucky.

Marek was practically hopping with impatience and Daniel shivered. _Stop that,_ he said. _That's a disconcerting feeling._

_I'm sorry. I forget that you're not an experienced host because you're so comfortable with it._

_Well, I've had other people in my brain. Just not a Tok'ra symbiote._

Marek chuckled. _You've led a unique life, Daniel._

The Stargate whooshed and Walter initiated contact. "This is Stargate Command on Ear--"

"Yes yes," a testy voice said. "Let me speak to the Tok'ra."

Daniel and Sam looked at each other and Sam shrugged, leaning closer to the microphone. "I'm Colonel Carter and--"

"I said the Tok'ra, not the host," the voice said.

Sam's eyebrows shot up and her lips tightened in annoyance, but she bowed her head. "This is Treena," she said a moment later, voice deeper but sounding as annoyed as Sam looked.

Daniel grinned as Marek said _Oh dear. They've annoyed both Treena *and* Sam. That doesn't bode well._

"Your message said you're looking for new hosts," the other Tok'ra said.

Treena looked at Daniel and Marek, eyebrows raised. "Yes. The Tau'ri agreed to be temporary hosts."

"Well, I'm sure we can find someone for you. We certainly wouldn't want you to have to stay with the Tau'ri any longer than necessary. We'll be waiting." And the voice was gone.

For a long moment, the only sound was the ambient noise of all the computer equipment.

"I'm sure they can't all be so...abrupt," Daniel said finally.

"I'm *not* so sure," Treena said, hands twitching by her sides. "But we will meet with them."

_Yes,_ Marek said with a sigh. _I do wish there weren't so many tiresome Tok'ra. It has something to do with our long lives, I believe._

_That doesn't explain your hosts,_ Daniel said as they went to inform Jack of their plans. _They live longer than other humans, but not *that* much longer._

_Perhaps it's like your saying about pets and their owners?_

Daniel choked, waving away Treena's concerned look. _I won't even ask which one is the pet and which is the owner._

_Good idea._

* * *

Jack sent Teal'c with them, but whether it was to be certain they didn't do anything stupider, didn't get kidnapped, or to annoy the Tok'ra on general principle, they couldn't be sure.

When they stepped through the Stargate, all eyes turned to stare at Teal'c, who bowed his head ever-so-slightly and exuded an air of 'Don't mess with my teammates' that had Daniel working very hard to keep a straight face.

_Perhaps I should take over,_ Marek said, sounding amused.

_That might be a good idea._

Daniel bowed his head and sat back as Marek took over. "My name is Marek, and this is my mate Treena," he said, pointing to Sam and Treena. "My host is Daniel Jackson and Treena is hosted by Samantha Carter."

The three Tok'ra waiting in a line bowed in unison, no trace of a smile in evidence. "Welcome, Marek and Treena," the one in the center said.

Daniel felt Marek's sudden desire to smack someone and he sighed. This was going to be a *long* visit.

* * *

Four hours later, Marek and Treena stomped up to the Stargate, fuming in near-unison, an amused Teal'c trailing behind, one hand on his weapon. _This is possibly the most insulting group of Tok'ra I have ever met. I would join the Goa'uld before I would join them,_ Marek nearly yelled.

Daniel was just glad *he* wasn't in charge of the body. _No argument here. We're just going to have to find someone else._

_Oh dear,_ Marek thought as Treena dialed the Gate, _I hadn't thought about that. Jack won't be very happy with you, will he?_

_I'd say that that's probably an understatement._ Daniel sighed. _But he can hardly get madder, can he?_

* * *

"I can't believe you!" Jack hollered, leaning on the conference room table and glaring at them. "Teal'c, you were supposed to make sure they got rid of the snakes!"

Teal'c, looking unimpressed, blinked once. "It was their choice, not mine. Although I do concur with their assessment."

"And that's another thing." Jack turned to Daniel. "You've been running around saying that all you needed was to find some Tok'ra with a couple of spare hosts and we finally find them and you come back and say they're RUDE?"

Daniel tried not to laugh. Put like that it did seem a little absurd, but... "They're a little more than rude, Jack. The available hosts were completely unsuitable for Marek and Treena."

"Unsuitable? What? You're an adoption agency now?" Jack sat down in his chair with a thud. "This is what comes of letting you keep any stray that follows you home."

_He's comparing us to dogs?_ Marek asked.

_He doesn't really mean it._ Daniel reconsidered. _Well, okay, he does, but he doesn't mean to be as insulting as that._

_Yes, he does._

Daniel sighed. _Yes, he does._ He snuck a look at Sam, who seemed to be having a similar internal conversation with Treena: Her look of rapt attention to Jack was just a bit off.

When, Daniel asked himself, did I learn her so well that I can tell things like that at a glance?

Marek was conspicuous in his silence.

Daniel sighed and let Jack's tirade continue to wash over him as he watched Sam out of the corner of his eye.

* * *

When Jack finally let them leave, Daniel automatically hit the button for 3 in the elevator, so they could go to the mess and grab dinner.

"Uh, Daniel?" Sam said.

"Hmm?"

"Treena and I are tired," Sam said, hitting the button for 19. "I think we're going to skip dinner, run down to the lab, and then get some rest. See you in the morning?"

"Sure. See you," Daniel said automatically.

As Sam got out of the elevator and walked away, he stared at her back and considered the fact that letting her walk away without him made his stomach hurt. _Ah, Marek,_ he said. _I think we need to have a talk._

_Hmm?_ Marek said, coming out of his own reverie. _About what?_

_Let's start with the effect you're having on my emotions. It's getting out of hand._

_You mean your feelings for Sam? I have nothing to do with that,_ Marek said, sounding insulted. _I would have thought you knew me well enough to realize I wouldn't manipulate you in that way._

Daniel made himself step out of the elevator at 3 and walk toward the mess, figuring food would improve his outlook. _I know you wouldn't manipulate me consciously, but I think your feelings for Treena are bleeding through and getting into my subconscious._

_I doubt it._ Marek prodded around a bit and Daniel scratched the back of his neck trying to get to the itch. _I don't see anything like that. Besides, I've had a few centuries to learn how to segregate such things. And it seems to me that you didn't need *my* help to appreciate your colleague's charms._

Daniel choked, startling an airman walking by. _Hey! Appreciating her charms is one thing, but this feeling is a little more._

_Really?_ Marek prodded another time. _Oh, how lovely! You'll make a splendid couple._

_Marek, you're missing the point. I didn't feel this way before._

_Are you sure?_

_Yes!_ Daniel said vehemently.

If Marek had had an eyebrow, he'd have raised it. Daniel sighed and got in the food line.

* * *

After dinner, Daniel decided he needed another point of view, and Marek sniffed and went back to contemplating a comparative analysis of several advanced planets they'd been working on while Daniel sought out Teal'c.

He found Teal'c alone in the gym, and Daniel decided that was even better, because he could certainly use a workout. Waving at Teal'c, he ducked into the locker room and changed.

When he came out, he settled onto rowing machine to warm up. Teal'c nodded to him and continued on the cable crossover.

As his muscles loosened, Daniel tried to figure out how to start this conversation.

"Is there something you wished to speak to me about?" Teal'c asked.

Daniel shook his head, grinning. Teammates. "I guess...I'm struggling with this idea of having someone else in my head."

"Understandable."

Daniel tried to figure out how Teal'c could pull so much weight and not be out of breath. "When the Goa'uld take over a body--"

_I'm not Goa'uld!_

_I know that. Gimme a minute here._

_Sorry,_ Marek said. _It's a sore point with us._

Daniel looked back at Teal'c, who was waiting patiently. "Sorry, internal disagreement."

Teal'c inclined his head.

"I'm trying to think about what makes the Goa'uld and Tok'ra different." Daniel caught his breath and rowed for a minute, knowing that Teal'c would let him finish his thoughts. "The Goa'uld suppress the host and place their personality on top. How much control does it take to do that? Is it easier than sharing?"

Teal'c lowered the weights for the last time. "Is there a problem with Marek?"

"Not exactly." Daniel slowed his pace. "I'm just worried that some of his thoughts and feelings are unintentionally bleeding over."

_I would not harm you. That is what makes us Tok'ra._

_Marek..._

_I just thought another reminder might help._

Teal'c waited for the conversation to end. "You have spoken with Marek."

"And he says it's not that. That they're my feelings."

Teal'c considered this. "What kind of feelings?"

Daniel swallowed and picked up the rowing pace. "Not anything important."

_Your feelings for Sam are unimportant?_

_Shut up,_ Daniel thought with a sigh.

_Hmmph._

Teal'c looked amused. "I see."

"Maybe this was a bad idea." Daniel stopped rowing.

"Ah." Teal'c managed to verbally convey a shrug without ceasing to pull on the cables.

Daniel sighed, slowing down his row. "I'm sorry. I seem to be offending everyone today."

"I am not offended," Teal'c said. "But it does seem difficult for me to help you--"

"If I don't tell you exactly what's wrong. Yeah." Daniel stared at his feet and the worn spot on his right sneaker that was about to become a hole. "I've been having these thoughts about Sam," he said quickly.

There was silence and Daniel sneaked a look up. Teal'c was still waiting. "And?" Teal'c prompted.

"I don't think they're mine. See, Marek and Treena have been together for a really long time."

Teal'c was silent, and Daniel wondered what he was thinking. "I have not conversed extensively with the Tok'ra." Teal'c paused. "But it seems to me that unconscious coercion would be difficult."

Daniel parsed that out. "You mean, he could make me think something, but it would be hard to do it without knowing it."

_Exactly!_ Marek said.

"Perhaps you should speak to Colonel Carter--"

"No!"

Teal'c's eyebrow shot up. "Indeed."

"I don't want to embarrass her." Daniel told himself firmly that it was the truth. "And I don't want to hurt the team. That's more important."

"Truly?" Teal'c asked.

"Yes."

"If you believe it's so..." Teal'c let go of the machine. "But be sure that it's what you want."

Daniel went back to rowing and Teal'c moved to the bench to lift free weights.

* * *

Despite his concerns, life at the SGC went on, and there was still plenty of work to do. Which is why three days later, he was scowling at a piece of inert machinery found on an abandoned planet by SG-9.

Head bent over a console, Sam frowned. "Are you *sure* that's what it says?"

"As sure as Marek and I can be." Daniel knelt to look for the fiftieth time at the inscription on the side. "It's definitely a new dialect, but I can't find any other reasonable translation, unless you think it's a recipe for talak soup."

"But I'm not reading any kind of residual emissions of that sort." Sam tapped a few keys, then a few more. "Nothing to show that it had even been *near* that kind of radia--" She stopped.

Daniel jumped up, a knot in his stomach easing when he saw she was just thinking very hard. He waited.

Sam seemed to have forgotten he was even there as she stared into space, lips moving occasionally as she considered and rejected ideas. Daniel was transfixed watching her brain at work.

Like a snake striking, she dove at the keyboard, typing furiously and muttering to herself. "Gotcha," she said with a final flourish of typing, her grin ecstatic.

It finally seemed safe to interfere. "Sam?" he said softly.

"It was the strange case of the dog that didn't bark in the night," she said triumphantly, turning toward him.

"The Sherlock Holmes story?" Daniel's eyes widened. "Oh!"

"Exactly! There were *no* emissions, not even ones that should have been there if this was just a hunk of rock, so I realized it was shielding itself and all I had to do was find a way to go under the radar. And I've got it." She grinned.

Daniel fought back the urge to grab her shoulders and kiss her senseless, because *god* she was beautiful and clever and wonderful. He took a deep breath and Marek said he was an idiot and went back to whatever he was doing.

Her smile dimmed. "Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all." Daniel forced a smile onto his face. "Congratulations. Let's go tell Jack."

* * *

When the call came from the Tok'ra on P4R 573 two weeks later, Walter pointedly allowed Sam to greet them, and Daniel stifled a grin at his expression.

"I'm Colonel Carter," Sam said. "I'm currently hosting Treena and--"

"Hello!" a jovial voice said. "We've heard that you've two symbiotes in need of new hosts."

"Uh, yes," she said, blinking a few times.

"We'd be delighted for you to visit," the voice said. "My name is Jaren. Please let us know when you will arrive so that the prospective hosts can be available."

Marek laughed. _Now that's more like it._

Daniel couldn't help but agree.

* * *

Daniel was also impressed that the Tok'ra didn't bat an eye at the sight of Teal'c looming behind them, looking as menacing as he could. In fact, they even managed a cordial greeting to the Jaffa, which ranked as a miracle of biblical proportions.

_Now if the rest of them are as nice,_ Marek said, _we might just be able to live here._

_It's almost too good to be true,_ Daniel said. _In my experience, this sort of greeting generally leads to doomsday weapons and explosions and a lot of running and falling rocks._

Marek managed an internal pat on the back, which was interesting. _I know. But I think in this case, you can relax._

_Are you sure?_ His fingers twitched toward the weapon he wasn't carrying.

_Stop that. Yes, I'm sure._ Marek sighed. _Daniel..._

_What?_

_I wish I could stay with you as well._

_That's not--well, okay, that's part of it._ Daniel followed the others down a hallway to meet with the available hosts. _I just want to be sure you'll be happy here._

_And I thank you for your concern. But we do have some experience at this, you know._

_I know._ Daniel sighed as they entered the room.

* * *

Fortunately for Daniel's peace of mind, the Tok'ra they met were a normal blend of nice people and annoying people, and even better, they found that there were *two* married couples ready for symbiotes. Marek and Treena hit it off quickly with one of the couples, who were quick-witted and sarcastic.

Jaren smiled broadly. "Did you have affairs you needed to wrap up with the Tau'ri or will the blending occur today?"

"I believe we're ready," Marek said, looking at Treena, who nodded. And Marek ceded control of the body back to Daniel.

"I guess I'm ready too," Daniel said.

"Me too," Sam said, her face the blank that Daniel knew hid her strongest emotions. It was her 'woman in a man's air force' face and he *hated* it.

_Can I ask a favor?_ Marek said, sounding hesitant.

_Of course._

_Please consider that your feelings for Sam might not be my doing. Treena and I have learned to savor every moment together, because our lives are so hazardous. Life and love are too precious to waste._

_Marek, I..._

_Just promise to think about it._

_I will._ Daniel wished there was a way to hug Marek. _Damn, I'm going to miss you._

_I'll miss you as well._ He sighed. _I hope the next blending is as successful as this one._

_I'm sure it will be. Take care._

_And you. Oh, and one more thing._

_What?_ Daniel asked.

_Try to remember to eat regularly. You really don't do well with low blood sugar._

Daniel got some strange looks when he burst out laughing, but he didn't care at all.

* * *

They took a few hours to rest after the symbiotes left, but Daniel could tell that Sam had the same feeling he had, that it was too uncomfortable to be around the new hosts. Their goodbyes were stilted, but Daniel knew that Marek understood.

Within a few minutes, they were striding through the Stargate and plummeting through the wormhole toward Earth.

Daniel had never realized that the inside of your mind could feel quite so *empty*. When he agreed to host Marek, he'd been worried about feeling violated, but far from it, it had been more like having your best friend with you all the time. And now he was alone.

Sam gave him a compassionate look as they came down the ramp and Daniel wished he could just take her hand, hold her close. Then he cursed internally. That was supposed to go away when Marek left, damn it.

Jack was standing at the bottom of the ramp, still looking grumpy. He looked them over, than his expression softened. "Go get yourselves checked out, then get some sleep, will ya? You look like someone kicked your puppies."

"Thanks, Jack." Daniel managed to sound grateful rather than annoyed, but the look Sam shot him said that she wasn't fooled. Heck, Jack probably wasn't either, but at least he was nice enough not to say anything.

Teal'c met them in the hallway. "Are you well?" he asked, walking with them to the infirmary.

"We'll be fine," Sam said.

Teal'c shot her a look, obviously noticing that she hadn't said she *was* fine, but he chose to accept her words. "I am glad to hear that." He looked at Daniel. "And you?"

Daniel shrugged. "I'll be okay too. With a little time."

"And the matter we spoke of?"

Sam gave them a weird look and Daniel winced. "I'll let you know when I've figured it out."

Teal'c's face was impassive, but Daniel got the impression he was laughing at him and he made a face at him when Sam turned away. Way to be mature, Daniel thought with a sigh.

Teal'c bowed slightly as they reached the infirmary. "I will check on you later."

Sam stopped, touching him on the arm. "Thank you. We appreciate your concern."

Teal'c smiled and left.

Janet fussed over them like a mother hen, drawing smiles from both of them, before finally releasing them and repeating Jack's order to get some rest.

Sam walked out the door a few feet in front of Daniel. He took that moment to look at her, and realized with a painful pang to his heart that he felt exactly the same as he had when Marek was with him.

This sounded like an excellent time for him to head back to his neglected apartment and get stinking drunk, Daniel thought miserably. Maybe with enough alcohol he'd come to his senses.

"Earth to Daniel?" Sam said.

"What?" He came out of his reverie to find that they were nearly to the elevator and Sam had turned to talk to him. "I'm sorry. Just woolgathering."

"Could I talk to you for a second?" Sam asked hesitantly.

"Uh, sure."

"In private?"

Daniel blinked. "In my office?"

"Sure. Lead the way."

Daniel wasn't sure he could handle another pep talk about how it was all going to be okay, especially not from Sam, not right now. But he couldn't quite figure out how to explain that in a way that didn't get him in deeper trouble, so he obediently walked with her to the elevator and punched the button for 18.

They walked down the hallway in silence and into Daniel's lab. To his surprise, Sam shut the door behind them, but didn't immediately turn around.

Cursing to himself, Daniel wondered what kind of friend he was that he was so wrapped up in his own stupid emotions that he hadn't noticed that something was obviously bothering Sam. "Tell me about it," he said, coming to stand beside her.

She turned, her expression so odd he couldn't even guess what it meant. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Absolutely."

"And I need a real answer. No hemming and hawing. No dodging the question."

That...didn't bode well, but there was no possible answer except: "What do you want to know?" He leaned against the nearest wall, bracing himself unobtrusively against whatever was coming.

"Treena and I talked a lot...about her relationship with Marek." Sam hesitated.

Daniel just waited.

"And about how I feel about you," Sam said in a rush.

Daniel's eyes widened.

Sam took a deep breath. "You know what? Never mind." She reached out, grabbed his shirt and dragged him close, fastening her lips on his. Daniel didn't waste an instant getting his arms around her and pulling her closer.

The material of her shirt was scratchy under his hands, but the skin on her neck and back was warm and soft. She tasted like cherry Chapstick, which was a little disconcerting, but soon enough she just tasted like herself. Especially after he licked off every last trace of Chapstick. He could feel her laughter in her chest where it touched his and the vibrations felt nice.

"Okay," she said eventually, "I guess that answers my question."

Daniel thought about saying 'What question?' but decided this wasn't the best time to be a smartass. "Marek and I talked about you too," he said, running his hand through her hair, making it spike up.

She frowned. "So they were matchmaking while they were in our heads and we could see and hear everything they did?"

Daniel considered that. "Apparently."

"Pretty sneaky," she said.

"You've got to admire that kind of stealth, actually."

"I think Treena would probably say it's the result of knowing someone very well for a very long time." Sam rested her head on his shoulder.

"And Marek would point out that we've wasted enough time already." Daniel rubbed his cheek against the top of her head.

"They're pretty smart."

"Mmm-hmm." Daniel decided he'd happily stay like this forever. "Now there's just one more problem."

"Hmmm?" Sam murmured.

"How are we going to explain *this* to Jack?"

Sam groaned and proved that she'd picked up a few of Daniel's better curses.

\--end--

**Author's Note:**

> Kellifer's prompt was that Daniel and Sam are Tok'ra whose symbiotes are lovers :)


End file.
